This application is related to co-pending, co-assigned patent application Ser. No. 657,434 filed Feb. 19, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,002, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 345,103 filed Apr. 28, 1989, now abandoned, which is a division of application Ser. No. 152,933 filed Feb. 5, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,275.
The production and recovery of oil or bitumen from underground formations has long been carried out. Production difficulties arise, however, in connection with the production of heavy oil or bitumen from oil or bitumen producing formations which also contain and/or produce water. Difficulties have also been encountered in secondary recovery operations for the recovery of heavy oil or bitumen from underground formations wherein aqueous fluids, such as steam and/or hot water, have been introduced to move heavy oil or bitumen within a heavy oil or bitumen containing formation to a production well for recovery.
Difficulties which have been experienced in oil or bitumen recovery operations have included the production of an excessive amount of aqueous fluids relative to the amount or produced oil of bitumen. Such difficulties may be caused by channeling or preferential movement of an aqueous fluid, such as steam or water, through an oil or bitumen containing formation with substantially no movement or transport of the oil or bitumen therewith.
It is an object of this invention to provide a technique for the increased production of oil or bitumen from underground formations, particularly from underground formations wherein water is produced along with the produced oil of bitumen.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved technique for the recovery of heavy oil or bitumen from underground formations, such as in tar sands and the like, wherein aqueous fluids, such as steam and/or hot water or mixtures thereof, are introduced concomitantly or sequentially to drive or displace and transport the oil or bitumen in the underground formation to a producing well.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a technique embodying a practice of this invention to prevent and/or to overcome water coning in a petroleum producing formation wherein petroleum is produced from an underground formation in contact with or in the presence of water.